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Sharlotka is a delightful cake that highlights the natural flavors of apples in a delicate, sponge-like base. With simple ingredients and minimal preparation, it’s a perfect dessert for showcasing fresh fruit and a staple for any home baker’s recipe collection.
What is Sharlotka?
Sharlotka is a simple yet delightful apple cake with roots in Russian cuisine. Known for its light sponge and abundance of apples, sharlotka is a beloved dessert that showcases the natural sweetness and acidity of apples in a soft, airy cake. It’s perfect for those who love a balance of fresh fruit with a delicate, cake-like texture.
Why you should bake sharlotka
1. Minimal Ingredients: Sharlotka requires just a handful of ingredients—mainly eggs, sugar, flour, and apples—which are affordable and often pantry staples. This simplicity makes it accessible for home bakers of all levels.
2. Quick Preparation: Unlike many cakes that call for extensive prep or special techniques, sharlotka comes together quickly. It’s an easy “mix-and-bake” type of recipe, ideal for casual baking or when you need a last-minute dessert.
3. Natural Apple Flavor: The cake’s appeal lies in its light sponge texture paired with plenty of apples. Sharlotka is not overly sweet, allowing the apples’ natural sweetness and tartness to shine through. The cinnamon and vanilla add subtle warmth, making it feel cozy and satisfying.
4. Light Texture: Unlike dense cakes, sharlotka has a soft, airy crumb due to the sponge cake-style batter. Beating the eggs and sugar to ribbon stage gives it a fluffy lift, making it feel indulgent without being heavy.
5. Adaptable and Customizable: Sharlotka can be easily adapted based on personal preferences or seasonal ingredients. Some people add a touch of lemon, extra spices, or different varieties of apples, giving it endless variation potential.
6. Comforting Tradition: For many, sharlotka is tied to family traditions or nostalgia. It’s a popular Eastern European dessert that families have made for generations, often as a way to use up a bounty of apples.
Easy Apple Sponge Cake (Sharlotka)
Ingredients
- 150 g eggs from 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 150 g granulated sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 500 g apples weight before prep. From 4 large apples
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 125 g all-purpose flour plus more for coating apples
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground dinnamon
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
For dusting: (optional)
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
- The weight of the apples is before we core and cut the apples. You can choose to peel or not to peel the apples. It can range between 450-500 grams, about 4 medium-large apples.
- Cored the apples. Cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Toss them in lemon juice. It helps to prevent browning and adds a slight tang that complement the cake very well. Reserve 1/3 of the apples as topping on top
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) for conventional oven, 330 F (165 C) for convection oven. Position oven rack in the middle of the oven
- Use a 9-inch round pan or 8-inch square pan. Line the bottom of the round pan with parchment paper. If you are using square pan, line with two pieces of parchment paper, perpendicular to each other and overhanging on the sides for easier removal
Prepare the cake batter:
- Combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt in a bowl
- Make sure the eggs are at room temperature. I usually get them out of the fridge 30 minutes to 1 hour before I plan to bake. It yields better volume when you beat them when they are at room temperature
- Scatter about 2/3 of the apple cubes at the bottom of the pan evenly.
- Place eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the eggs and sugar on high speed until the mixture is very pale, thick and tripled in volume. When you lift the whisk, the mixture drip off from the whisk and leave some trail that won't disappear immediately
- Sift in the dry mixture
- Use a flexible spatula to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture by folding motion as you rotate the bowl. There shouldn't be any dry flour bits visible anymore. Do this as quickly as you can but gentle at the same time so you won't deflating too much air.
- Scrape the cake batter into the pan. Tap the pan a few times to make sure no large air bubbles are trapped inside the batter. Use a flexible spatula to smooth the cake batter evenly
- Toss the rest of the apples in about 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour. Scatter this on top of the cake batter gently
Baking:
- Place the baking pan into the oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean
Cooling:
- Cool the cake in the pan completely before removing from the pan
To serve:
- The cake can be served as is at room temperature. You can also dust a light coating of powdered sugar, serve with some whipped cream if you like. I find it pleasant to eat on its own without anything else
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
Ingredients for Sharlotka
1. Eggs: Adds structure and lift, key to the lightness of the cake. Make sure they are at room temperature. There’s no substitute for it in this recipe
2. Sugar: Sweetens and stabilizes the cake batter. I don’t recommend cutting down as this cake is not too sweet, but just the right amount. Sugar also helps to keep the cake moist
3. All-purpose flour: Provides the cake’s base structure. There’s no need to use cake flour for this cake. It works wonderful with regular all-purpose flour
4. Apples: Use firm, tart apples like Granny Smith or Fuji for a good balance of flavor and texture
5. Baking powder: Helps the cake rise.
6. Vanilla extract: Enhances the flavor of the cake
7. Ground cinnamon: Adds warmth and complements the apples. I mean, what could go wrong with apple and cinnamon really!
8. Salt: I use fine sea salt. Balances the sweetness and enhances flavor. I always feel like something is missing when salt is not added to a cake, despite the quantity is small, but it’s significant!
Tips for Making the Best Sharlotka
1. Choose the right apples: Firm, slightly tart apples, like Granny Smith, Fuji, or Honeycrisp, hold their shape well during baking and provide a nice contrast to the cake’s sweetness. Avoid softer apples that may turn mushy.
2. Achieve the ribbon stage: Beating the eggs and sugar to the ribbon stage is key for an airy, sponge-like texture. This step incorporates air into the batter, giving it a lift without the need for additional leavening agents.
3. Fold Carefully: When adding the flour mixture, fold gently to avoid deflating the batter. Overmixing can lead to a denser cake.
4. Add a touch of lemon: Toss the apples in a small amount of lemon juice before layering them in the pan. This adds a subtle tang and keeps the apples from browning.
5. Don’t overbake: Sharlotka should have a moist crumb, so keep an eye on it toward the end of the baking time. Once the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, it’s ready.
How to Store Sharlotka
1. At Room Temperature: Sharlotka can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for about 2-3 days. The apples on top may start to release some moisture the longer you keep them and that’s normal
2. Freezing Sharlotka: For longer storage, I recommend freezing instead of keeping them in the fridge. The fridge tends to dry out the crumbs. You can freeze sharlotka for up to 1 month. Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat gently in the oven at a low temperature for a freshly baked feel.
